Valve for inflatable articles



March 19, 1935.

I O m 6 U n OFFICE '1- i "VALVE FORINFLTABLE ARTICLES ward E.` meddling, Grans Rapids, Mich., signon' by rnesne 5assignments, `to Van Cleef *""furosl, Chicago, lill., a partnership consisting of Noah Van Cleef, Felix Van ClecfglVIaxime V i Yan Cleef, and' PaulVan Cleef 9, 1931, serial No. 573,939

"rommel-"(01. 273-65) This invention relates toa valve and more definitely .'tora :filling and 'sealing device adapted to befapplied to'aihollow'lplay ball or the like whereby thefs'ame may be; inflated and deflated Briefly described-my novel valve vstructureconsists ofla tapered pocket having a curved slit and afsmalll opening near its: wide end, this pocket beingformed'between-the lball itself `and a fabric covering located interiorly thereof. `A collapsible tube-extends'outwardlythrough the fabric member and .the smallo'pening and air is vintroduced through this tube to inflate the ball. i After iny flationl the vtube is pulled inwardly through the i' Opening `by *the .personainfiating 'the ball and ris thenffolded andfpushed into the narrow end of the tapered pocket `'where' it is heldin a pinched orfclamped condition and is thus closed againstthe` passage of.- air therethrough. yielding. memberis located between. the ball. and the outerj offpullingthe-tubeE inwardly through the opening" andpushing `it into the' narrower portion of" the 'a pocket, thev narrowerlportionfo'f thepocket eX- erting"-more:pressure upon the tubefa'ndf hence holding thesameiir a' tightly 'closed'.iposition, thereby keeping the-f ball ina properly inflated condition. M .w

A` second advantage of my invention is that the folded ytube `is "locatedin centered positionfwith' respecttothe sides of theftapered pocket and withfthe return bend. at 'the bottom ofthe pocket whereby there is `very little' chance' against its accidental displacement'. "if

*third featur'elf'o'f my valvestructure lies'in the provision-0f aninelastic member at the inner sil'nl'efof` the pocket.` `This membertends-to hold the 'pocket in a`J clcsed'fposition and hence prevents the"curvedslit-therein' fromgaping open yals it" is very prone-ltd do'.

from "af straight slit fas" '1 have 'experimentally fur'id'that the former jmai'ntains fa closed posi- 1' een much settytharithe' latter.

Funny, -I have also detenerme by experiment that. bythe, 11S@ oigan elasticimmediat'ely 'inside' the* r'ubber* covering of' the ball, wherebyl the fabric is located interiorly thereof andby then placing a second or inner yieldable member on the inner side of the fabric that -the shape of the pocketv is retained-toV an exceptional degree Furtheradvantages and features of the valve structure'will become apparent upon an understanding of'the'following description.

Fig. v1 of the drawing is a fragmentary outside view of a rubber ball having a valve structure embodying the invention; f

Fig. 2 is an inside view of the parts shown in Figure 1.,

.Fig-3 is a sectional View taken on the line 3-3 ofFigl; .y Y

Fig. 4' isa sectional view similar to Fig. 3 but illustrating the Vmanner in which the collapsible tube is forced together and pushed into the narrower portion of the pocket.

Y Fig.' 5 is a 'sectional lview Showing the collapsible tu'befin a sealed or closed position; the ball having beenA inflated previously thereto.

In the drawing, I have shown a portion of a hollow play ball which comp-rises'an elastic rubbercasing lO'and apollapsible rubber tube 13 for i inflating and deflating the casing. The casing 10 struchas a curved slit 11 and an opening 12 therethrough. The slit is for the purpose of inserting a foreign membensuch asones finger, to push the collapsible ytube `inwardly as shown in Fig. 3, and has circular vholes at its ends so as to facilitate insertion of the foreign member or finger. The opening 12 is adapted to receive the tubelSv to holdit in a position whereby the ball may be infiated. SeeFig. 3.' v r :A gum Aor rubbermember 14 is attached as by vulcanizing to the' ap'of the ball, that is, the portion ofv the casing lO'which has, the curved4 CII slit ll'and theopen'ing 12, and this member serves i toreinforce the flap of the ball. The slit 11 and the opening':12 extend through the member clearly shown in Fig. 4.

A non-porous fabric member 15, of the shape shownfin Fig. 2, is attached at its periphery tol the l againstandi's attached to the inner side of the f l'o'u'rthl'y, I provide a` curved slit vas vdistinguished` that the latter communicates with the interior of the casing 10 of the ball.

The operation is readily apparent. Before iniiation the several elements are positioned as shown in Fig. 3 and after air or gas has been introduced through the tube 13, ak foreign element 20, such as ones nger, see Fig. 4, is inserted through the slit 11 and is used to pull the tube inwardly through the opening 12 and to push the tube into the narrow end of the pocket 16. Next, the element 2O is withdrawn and the several parts assume the positionshown in Fig. 5 thus holding the air against escaping from the ball.

Deflation of the ball is had by pulling out the tube 13 either through the slit l1l or the openingv 12 whereupon the air escapes therethrough.

Having thus described my invention, I desire to protect the same by Letters Patent and claimz- 1. As a new article of manufacture, an inflatable ball or the like comprising a casing formed of flexible material and having an additional layerof flexible material over a restricted area, a member located inside of the two layers and fastened thereto only at its periphery so as to forma pocket, said two layers having a curved slit extending therethrough at a point near the periphery of the member and also vhaving an opening adjacent to said curved slit and positioned inwardly from the slit with respect to the periphery of the member, and a collapsible tube fastened to the inner side of said member at a point oppositely positioned to the said opening and adapted to extend outwardly through said opening for ball inflating purposes, said slit being adapted to be manually opened so that the flexible tube may be collapsed by pushing thereagainst with a foreign element inserted through said slit to seal the same in the manner described.

2. An inflatable article as set forth in claim l in which the pocket has a relatively wide end and the slit and opening are located adjacent to said -wide end ofv the pocket forv the purpose described.

`3. An inflatable article of the class described comprising, a hollow body having an elastic wall, an elastic reinforcing portion of relatively small dimensions fastened to the inner side of said wall, said reinforced portion of said wall having a. slit 'cut therethrough, a fabric member fastened to the inner side of the article at its reinforced portion whereby a pocket is formed therebetween, said slit forming a means of entrance tofsaid pocket, an elastic member secured to the inner face of the fabric member, and a collapsible tube vsecured to the inner face of the elastic member and extending outwardly therethrough and through said pocket, said tube being adapted to be folded and forced into said pocket, said fabric being non-yieldable relatively to the elastic parts of the article and also being of non-perforate construction except for the small hole therethrough to permit the collapsible tube to extend therethrough.

4. An inflatable article comprising a casing of elastic material, a comparatively small piece of non-porous, substantially inelastic material secured marginally to the inner face of the` casing and defining a. pocket, said casing having a slit near the margin of the pocket-forming piece to provide access to the pocket and also having an opening atthe side of the slit nearer the central portion of the pocket, and a collapsible tube for use in iniiating the article extending through, and attached to,` the pocket-formingpiece at a point in registry with the aforesaid opening,

said tube being adapted to extend through the` opening during inflation of the articleand beingI further adapted to be withdrawn-.from.the,opening `and doubled over by an element inserted into the pocket through the slit and to be pushed by such element into the portion of the pocket remote from the slit where it is held in a collapsed condition land prevents deflation of the article.

5. An innatabie 'article ofthe character described, comprising. a casing of elastic material, a tapered piece of non-porous, substantially inelastic material secured marginally to theV inner face of the casing and defining a tapered pocket, said casing'having a slit therethrough adjacent the wide end of the pocket to provide access to said pocket and also having an opening at the side of the slit near the central portion' ofthe pocket, and a collapsible tube for useininflat-VA ing the article extending through, and 'attached to, the pocket forming piece at a point in registry with the aforesaid opening, said tube being adapted to extend through ther opening during inflation of the article and being further adapted to be Withdrawn from the opening and doubledover by way of an element inserted into the pocket through the slit and to be pushed by `such element into the small end of the poclretfwh'ere'n it is'held in a collapsed condition and prevents deflation of the article. f

6. An inflatable article of the character -described comprising a casing Vof elastic material, a comparatively small, tapered piece of nonporous; substantially inelastic material secured marginally to the inner face of the casing andf defining a. pocket, said casing, for the purpose of,

forming piece inoff-centered relation with re-l spect to the slit and adapted after inflationof` the article to be doubled overby an element inserted into the pocket through the slit and to be". pushed by` said element into the narrow endvof the pocket where it is held ina collapsed condition and prevents deiiation of the article. v

. 7. An inflatable article of the character'v dei-j.

scribed comprising a casing of elastic material,

a .comparatively small, tapered piece of: nonporous material secured marginally tothe inner.y

face of the casing and defining a pocket, said casing, for the purpose of providing access to the pocket, having extending therethroughv adjacentto the Wide end of the pocket a slit -withi-the ends thereof curved in the direction of the `narrow end of the pocket, andterminating in comparatively small circular holes, and a collapsible tube vfor use in inflatingthe. articlev extending. through, and attached to, 4the pocket-.forming piece in off-centered relation with respect tothe slit and adapted after ination of the article to' be doubled over by an element insertedintodthe pocket through the slit and to be pushedby Saidr element into the narrow end of the pocket where it is held in a collapsed condition and prevents deflation `of the article.

WARD E. RoEDn-INGQ I 

